Downtown Salisbury Master Plan Meeting Thurs May 26th 6:00PM

IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO RSVP! If you have not already sent your RSVP for the Downtown Master Plan Update meeting please do so by contacting Shuntale Smith /Downtown Salisbury, Inc.
704-637-7814.

DATE: Thursday, May 28, 2009
TIME: 6:05 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Rowan Museum (Second Floor)
MORE: Dinner will be served so please remember to RSVP.

Our downtown and city core is vital to the growth and vitality of Salisbury and our North Main Street neighborhoods - especially because of our proximity to downtown. Many of you may have suggested changes or ideas that you feel would create a more inviting and vibrant downtown. We need to hear your input and ask that you take an evening to attend the first planning session for the update to Downtown Salisbury, Inc. master plan. Please contact Shuntale Smith at DSI for further information.

Contact Information: Shuntale SmithDowntown Salisbury, Inc. 704-637-7814

Check out www.downtownsaliburync.com to see a copy of the current master plan. The plan was last modified 10 years ago (and about $40 million has been invested!) and if you have been here over that time period you can plainly see many of the changes that have come to be. Let your voice be heard for the changes to come in the next 10 years!

Salisbury Parks Master Plan

Hey Friends & Neighbors!

We attended the Salisbury Parks & Recreation Master Plan Update Meeting last night. You will recall that there was a public meeting back in March where we got to brainstorm our parks "wish-list" to the consultants that Salisbury has hired to update the master plan and to the City Parks & Recreation folks. Last night's meeting was to present the preliminary proposals to the public. It's a long-term plan, as master plans are, that covers about 10 years out. Here's some of what we learned:

The Lincoln Park Pool will undergo a phased improvement plan that should take about 3 years. The existing pool will change to splash pools - very fun for kids mostly. A new pool for swimmers is planned at the Civic Center! There are plans to add more neighborhood parks - but unfortunately there are none slated for the North Main area. Although our landscape architect drawings for the North Main Small Area Improvement Plan show several pocket parks in the area, when we ask the City, we are told that our proximity to City Park will not allow us to have new parks. What can we do about this?

We were told that we should watch for foreclosing properties that could be perhaps purchased inexpensively to be used as park or green-space area. Also, if you know someone who perhaps was left a property as an inheritance, but is not interested in the upkeep they can donate it as a tax write-off. This is largely how the Fulton Heights neighborhood got their park. It is important to note however, that Fulton Heights raised about $40,ooo to get their park by holding fundraisers, etc. and that the neighbors there do much of the everyday maintenance.

It is very interesting to see the Parks plan unfold. The hard part once the plans are in place is funding the changes - as always. It will be even more interesting to see how far we get in the phyisical changes once the new Parks Master Plan is in place.

North Main St Neighborhood Meeting - Apr 13th - 6:30PM - City Park Rec Center

Be sure to come to the neighborhood meeting this Monday to hear the update about the new sidewalks (at last!) planned for West Miller Street! We've been hearing about these improvements to the neighborhood for some time and now it appears very close to happening! This is your opportunity to hear about it first-hand from the City engineers and planners - your opportunity to ask questions.

The meeting will be held this Monday April 13th at 6:30 PM at the City Park Recreation Center on 316 Lake Drive in Salisbury.

We'll be hearing about the sidewalks and proposed crosswalk at North Main Street and West Miller Street. The sidewalk is the first step in a plan to connect our Old North Salisbury neighborhood to the city parks and the Salisbury Greenway system. After we get the West Miller Street sidewalk, we'll see more sidewalks go in along the 900 block of North Jackson Street along the City Park edge, then up and around Lake Drive and over to Hurley Park. The planned sidewalk improvements will provide safer, more convenient access to the parks for our neighborhood residents. These changes were recommended by our neighborhood residents who took part in the North Main Small Area Improvement Plan completed in 2007. The project is being funded by Salisbury City Council and a grant from the North Carolina Health & Wellness Fund as part of the Fit Community initiative. Members of the Old North Salisbury Association attended several of the grant meetings and were instrumental in having Salisbury become a grant recipient.

This is an exciting time for our community and we hope you will find the time to attend this meeting to both show your support and learn more about the whole process. Please come! The more we know, the more we can help initiate more improvements like this in the Old North Salisbury - North Main Street neighborhood.

We hope to see you there!

Old North Salisbury's Tripp Edwards at the Blue Vine Tonight!

Our own Old North Salisbury neighbor, Tripp Edwards, will be playing his original music at the Blue Vine on South Main St in Salisbury tonight from 9 - midnight. Don't know Tripp, from N. Jackson St, or his music? Tripp is co-owner/founder of Stringfellows Music on North Main St. in Salisbury. You can get a sneak preview listen to his music at these sites:

http://www.trippedwards.com/

www.myspace.com/trippedwardsmusic

www.facebook.com/pages/Tripp-Edwards/36754727345

And on iTunes!

So put on your galoshes (yes - it's a rainy nite!) and get out there and have a great time!

More Trolley Pictures from Salisbury Early 1900's

This picture was taken looking north on Main Street from a little bit south of the Square or the intersection of Main and Innes Streets. The "tall" building you see in the background is currently where Spanky's Deli is. You will note that the trolley had to compete with the horse-drawn carriage in the early 1900's here.

This picture, while you don't see the actual trolley tracks, shows the electric street car lines along the road side. The 3rd picture here was taken from the Grubb Building looking south on Main Street and you can make out the trolley tracks in the center of the street and you can again see the electric lines along the east side of Main Street. The large standpipe, a water resevoir for the City, no longer stands but used to be near the Fisher Street and Church Street intersection.

Ever Wonder Why the Trolley Logo for Old North Salisbury?

If you are curious as to why the Old North Salisbury Association has the Trolley Car as its logo - you will find the answer most interesting! It's not about the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer as you might think (www.nctrans.org)! Yes ~ it's down the road ~ but not the reason for the Trolley Logo!

In 1896, the City of Salisbury was primarily a "walking city". The population, at that time about 6,000 people, lived in a clustered area around downtown and could walk to most of their churches, shops, and places of work.

In 1901 the first street car line was proposed to run between Salisbury and Spencer. The Salisbury Light and Power Company (later called the Salisbury-Spencer Railway Company) completed the trolley car line from the Southern Railway Hotel in Spencer along North Main St. to the Square in Salisbury. These were electric trolley lines, not the automated trolley we see today on our Friday Nights on the Town. The company changed hands several times and in 1935 Duke Power took over the electric railway franchise here. Duke Power continued the street car service until 1938 when the lines were abandoned for the bus lines. The old tracks along the street of Salisbury were either removed or covered over.

There used to be a trolley stop at North Main Street and Miller Street to service the residents of the Steele Plantation at the John Steele House. The stop is a current bus stop for today's buses. (The picture above depicting the trolley lines along North Main Street in downtown Salisbury in the days of yore is actually an 18" x 12" poster that is available for about $20.00 from www.allposters.com.)If you click on the picture, you will be able to see it in a larger format and can clearly see the trolley lines.

From time to time in the past, although we haven't heard much about it lately, the topic of resurrecting the old trolley line along North Main Street resurfaces. Many believe it would be a tremendous tourist attraction and revenue generator for both Salisbury and the Town of Spencer. Many even believe that the original old tracks could still be under the pavement on North Main Street! Now THAT would be a rejuvenator for the area, wouldn't it!

The advent of the street car was one of the factors in Salisbury's expansion from a "walking city" into a thriving 20,000 population between 1904 - 1930. Is is interesting to note that of the attractive residential suburbs which developed along Salisbury's major trolley line thoroughfares during this first part of the 20th century (along Fulton to Mitchell Avenue - out Mitchell to Fulton Heights - down Council Street to Caldwell St and out west Innes Street to the Yadkin Valley Fair Grounds), only North Main Street retains much of its original appearance.

So ~ because of its historic significance to the North Main Street neighborhood of Salisbury North Carolina, the trolley was chosen as the most appropriate symbol for the North Main Street Historic District signs and for the Old North Salisbury Neighborhood Association!

Historic Salisbury Trolley Tours
Each Saturday
April 1 – Oct 31, 2009
11 am & 1 pm
Board at the Visitors Center204 E Innes Street Salisbury

Parks Master Plan Meeting

Hello Friends & Neighbors ~

Some of us from the Old North Salisbury Association got the opportunity to participate in the City of Salisbury's Parks & Recreation Master Plan public meeting held this past Thursday evening. This was a preliminary "voice of the public" brainstorming session to ask US what we want from our future city parks. A separate section of the meeting also focused on the concerns at Salisbury's Lincoln Park that has a 40-year old pool (Salisbury's only public pool!) and needs renovating.

At the meeting, people from the City and the Woolpert Engineers from Charlotte divided the attendees into groups where we listed anything and everything we wanted from our park systems. Despite the limited time to compile this we came up with quite a list! We were then asked to list our Top 5. I am afraid that pocket parks in NoMa (the North Main Neighborhood), while on the list, did not make it to the Top 5 as you can imagine. The Bike Trail was on everyone's list. We asked for new and improved Bike Trails both city-wide and in the parks - marked and designated for biking. Festivals or music events in the existing parks was another idea that made it to the top. The opinion was that festivals could possibly generate revenue to allow the City to take care of the parks and add the other features we desire. There were several other ideas - all very very good. Now we just have to see where that takes us!

The engineers are going to take the data from that meeting and compile a plan. There will be another Public Meeting in May. We'll announce it here but keep an ear to the ground for the date. They will present the plan there and again we will have opportunity to voice opinions and suggestions.

We do wonder where the City will obtain the funding for all these wonderful ideas and there was plenty of discussion about that. One idea was interdepartmental sharing of budgets. Couldn't the Roads & Streets department install and maintain a city-wide Bike Trail and share the costs with Parks & Recreation? Just a thought!

Public Meeting Today ~ 6:30 PM

Hey Everyone! Reminder!

Don't forget to go to today's Public Meeting - 6:30PM - at the Salisbury Civic Center on Boundary St. The meeting is about the City of Salisbury's Parks Master Plan!

See you there!

Sidewalks & Crosswalks Coming to W. Miller St.

Hey All!

As you know, the long promised sidewalks and crosswalks are coming to the W. Miller St crossing at N. Main St.!!!

The Old North Salisbury Association's President, Sue McHugh of N. Main St., attended a meeting at Salisbury City Hall today as part of the Fit Community Grant Partnership that is funding this improvement to our neighborhood. Here is what we learned:

A Public Neighborhood Meeting is scheduled for Monday April 13th at the City Park Recreation Center's Activity Room from 6:30PM - 7:30PM (or maybe 8:00PM if question/answer period extends). A postcard from the City is expected very soon - maybe next week that will invite our neighborhood participation and some brief details. Most critically, we need to have our W. Miller St. residents on board with the changes as they will be most directly impacted by the work.

The impact should be minimal. The residents on the south side of the street will be asked to sign easement papers that give the City permission to work on the property. Now in truth - most of the work will be on City property, however this is a courtesy measure should any disruption occur to privately held property. If such disruption does occur, it is general policy to put it back BETTER than it was. Some driveways will be temporarily torn up, however they City will place a stone entryway to the drives so that people can still get up into their property. They may be required to park in the street for one day as concrete is poured. Additionally, where W. Miller St. connects to N. Jackson St will be temporarily closed during the construction.

The sidewalk will be 5-feet wide with a 2-foot planting strip or lawn between it and the curb. Pedestrian level street lighting, something we had really hoped for, is not budgeted for but will be considered as the project moves forward. And speaking of moving forward . . . we should expect groundbreaking in May 2009! The project should take 3-months to complete so we are looking at perhaps an August completion date.

We saw drawings that show the sidewalks and some of the other engineering work we may not often consider - storm drainage, moving utilities such as electric/phone/cable - and the positioning of fire hydrants and sewer lines.

Next year, as Phase II of the project emerges, we'll see additional sidewalks along N. Jackson St. at City Park to Lake Drive and along Lake Drive to Hurley Park. This is when we may expect to see signage incorporated - like neighborhood entrance signs!

The overall aim is to ultimately connect the North Main neighborhood to the Salisbury Greenway and to incorporate a very fine-tuned large-scale walking program.
Please make EVERY EFFORT to come to the April 13th Neighborhood Meeting! Encourage your friends, neighbors, relatives, EVERYBODY to attend. This is our first structural neighborhood revision toward the North Main Small Area Improvement Plan and we NEED TO SUPPORT IT!

Thanks, All!

Some NSP Funding Could Come This Way . . .

We reported yesterday that Salisbury is not slated to receive a grant to assist with home foreclosure from HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Fund. However if you check yesterday's posting, we listed (3) state-wide agencies were listed as recipients. The grants were issued on a "greatest needs" basis. It turns out that Rowan County was assessed as a greatest need county and the three statewide organizations selected will ensure the areas of greatest need in the 23 counties receive assistance. So we may see some funding after all. We are not sure how this will be distributed or how one goes about applying, if necessary, to receive the funding. We'll try to learn more and post here as we become educated.

In North Carolina, areas in 23 counties met the “greatest need” criteria: Alamance, Brunswick, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Catawba, Cumberland, Dare, Davidson, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Johnston, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Pitt, Randolph, Rowan, Union, Vance and Wake.

Bad News ~ No NSP Funding for Salisbury!

We received notification that Salisbury will not be receiving any Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funding. This is very sad news - we were certain that we were well positioned to receive an award. The NSP program was to have assisted communities hit hardest by the housing crisis. States were required to identify areas of greatest need based on the number of foreclosure starts and other housing-related statistics.

Here are the folks in NC who DID receive a portion of the $52 million in grants:

Local Government Recipients: City of Raleigh, $2.5 million; Wake County, $2.5 million; City of Charlotte, $2.5 million; City of Greensboro, $2.5 million; City of Winston-Salem, $2.5 million; City of High Point, $2.5 million; City of Gastonia, $2 million; Henderson/Vance County, $2 million; City of Durham, $2 million; City of Rocky Mount, $2 million; City of Lexington, $2 million.

Non-profit Agency Recipients: St. Augustine, in Raleigh, $2 million; Charlotte Housing Authority, $2 million; Guilford Habitat for Humanity, $2 million; Forsyth Habitat for Humanity, $2 million; Passage Home (in Wake County), $2 million; Greensboro Housing Authority, $2 million.

Statewide Agency/intermediary Recipients: Self-Help Credit Union, $2.5 million; N.C. Community Development Initiative, $3.5 million; and N.C. Housing Finance Agency, $4 million.

There should be additional NSP funding available in the federal stimulus package and the city is hoping to be eligible to apply from some of that funding. Decisions on this program are still being finalized at the federal level.

Perhaps we should feel fortunate. If others are in greater need than we are here in terms of foreclosures, we should count our blessings ~ regardless of how much we looked forward to the revisions this grant could have afforded our community. We will continue our preservation efforts here on a grass-roots level - one house at a time!

City Parks Master Plan Public Meeting Mar 26 6:30PM

Hi Neighbors!

The City of Salisbury is holding a Parks & Recreation Master Plan Public Meeting!

Day: Thursday, March 26

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Where: Salisbury Civic Center

Address: 315 S. Boundary Street

We encourage as many of you as can possible make it to partake in this public discussion. It will include future planning for a number of items such as:

• Expanding existing parks and greenways


• Adding NEW parks (especially important for the Old North Salisbury - North Main St Area)


• Adding specialty parks such as dog parks, x-sports parks (skate-boarding, bmx-biking, motocross, etc.)


• Adding public swimming pools



• Adding athletic facilities



• Additional biking/hiking trails


• Picnic areas

As the City develops this new Master Plan, as any of the items above become incorporated, the taxpayers here will be footing the bill, so you may wish to have a voice!

There is an online survey you can take on the City's Parks and Recreation website (www.salisburync.gov/pkrec) that asks your opinion about a lot of these topics. It takes very little time to fill out and especially if you can't make it to the City's meeting, you may want to input your choices through the survey.

Why should us Old North Salibury residents care about a city-wide park master plan? Salisbury's North Main Small Area Improvement Plan had incorporated several small pocket parks in OUR area. If this doesn't make it to the Master Plan ~ we may never see the reality of these areas that will offer so much to this neighborhood!

City Park New Tennis Courts - Grand Opening This Saturday!!!

Neighbors & Friends!!!

The brand-spankin' new City Park Tennis Courts will open to the public via a grand re-opening ceremony this Saturday, March 21 at 10:00 a.m. at the courts on West Miller Street in City Park. Any and all can attend and the City will be offering light refreshments!

The City Park Tennis Courts were closed down for reconstruction last summer and work began in August 2008. See Old North Salisbury's post "Check Out Changes at City Park" dated August 21, 2008. The work was expected to be complete in about 3 months but if you visit the City's Parks and Recreation homepage (www.salisburync.gov/pkrec ) there is a slide show there about the renovation that lets you see the magnitude of the work.

If you have never been to the City's Parks and Recreation website - it is worthwhile to check out. In addition to the two beautiful parks we have near the North Main St. area, Hurley and City Parks, there are several others throughout the City. Some have additional amenities that we may not have here. If you go to the www.salisburync.gov/pkrec website, you will also find a survey there that you can do in minutes online. It asks about future parks and amenities such as water features, athletic facilities, dog parks and loads of other fun stuff. This is really your opportunity to have a voice so you are encouraged to link-in and participate.

As you may know, part of the North Main Small Area Improvement Plan included several pocket parks in this neighborhood! Wouldn't it be grand to see some of our vacant lots turned into small parks, both scenic and useful to the community? And Hey! If you have NOT seen a copy of the North Main Small Area Improvement Plan, contact Janet Gapen/City Planner/City of Salisbury (704-638-5230 or jgape@salisburync.gov) to get a copy. It is very interesting and shows all the hard work our neighbors put forth to come up with this plan!

Thanks All!

Spring Spruce Up Week Coming ~ April 20 - 24!

Hey All!

Just so you know ~ our Spring Spruce-Up Week will soon be here! You may wish to start getting ready now! The weather is (finally!) starting to cooperate and we can start getting things ready to take to the curb!

Here's the official announcement from the City:

CITY OF SALISBURY
COMMUNITY APPEARANCE COMMISSION & PUBLIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT
SPRING SPRUCE UP WEEK & APPLIANCE AND TIRE COLLECTION
April 20 - 24, 2009

The City of Salisbury will pick up your old appliances, tires without rims and extra bagged trash the week of April 20 – 24, 2009. Place the items at the curb on your regular collection day before 7:00 a.m.

**NO BUILDING MATERIALS (carpet, padding, sheetrock, windows, lumber, commodes, sinks, etc.) WILL BE COLLECTED

This collection is for RESIDENTS living inside the city limits of Salisbury only (NO BUSINESSES). If you have questions, please call Public Services at (704)638-5260.

Thanks in advance to all for keeping our neighborhood beautiful!

W. Miller Street Improvement Update!!!

Friends & Neighbors ~

We learned today that the Salisbury City Engineers are just finishing up the designs for W. Miller Street. Remember that the plan, under the Fit Community Grant that Salisbury was awarded last year, was to install a crosswalk across N. Main St. at Miller St. and to install new sidewalks down W. Miller St. to N. Jackson St. to allow our neighborhood better walking access to our City Park and Hurley Park.

We hear the goal is to get the construction underway in May!!! HOORAY!!!

The City would like to hold a neighborhood meeting in April to explain the changes , especially for those who live on W. Miller who will be most impacted during construction. If you have an opinion about what day of the week is generally best to ensure the best attendance, we encourage you to pass it along to the Old North Salisbury Association. You can leave a comment after this posting or email us at oldnorthsalisbury@gmail.com.

Since Tuesdays are the City's City Council and Planning Board days, we should avoid that day if we can. We will probably suggest a Monday evening in April in order to give folks time to get it on their calendar.

This work is the first physical improvement to come out of the North Main Small Area Improvement Plan that many of our neighborhood resident worked very hard to compile for the City and was approved in July 2007! In addition to the crosswalk/sidewalk we should expect W. Miller St. to be narrower and come to a T-stop instead of the sweeping curves at Jackson St. that do not encourage pedestrian speed traffic. There should also be a planting strip. (and we are really crossing our fingers that the plan includes pedestrian level lighting!)
 

Please make every effort to attend this meeting. Again, if you have a preference of meeting days, let us know. When we hear the confirmed date, we will post it here and on our calendar below, as well as via a direct emailing to all our members.

Thanks to all, as always, for your commitment to making this great downtown neighborhood the best!

Neighborhood Stabilization Program Update!

Neighbors & Friends:

You may have been hearing about HUD's new Neighborhood Stabilization Program that is to provide emergency assistance to state and local governments to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that might otherwise become sources of abandonment and blight within their communities. The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) provides grants to every state and certain local communities to purchase foreclosed or abandoned homes and to rehabilitate, resell, or redevelop these homes in order to stabilize neighborhoods and stem the decline of house values of neighboring homes. The Historic Salisbury Foundation went through the process of filing for Salisbury to receive this grant. We thought we were in a good position to be awarded.

HSF is still waiting to hear about the awarding of grants for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program from HUD. This is quite a delay as results were expected over three weeks ago and there was extreme pressure to submit applications, award grants and obligate the funds quickly. We have been given no reason for the delay.

NSP funds may be used for activities which include, but are not limited to:

• Establish financing mechanisms for purchase and redevelopment of foreclosed homes and residential properties;
• Purchase and rehabilitate homes and residential properties abandoned or foreclosed;
• Establish land banks for foreclosed homes;
• Demolish blighted structures;
• Redevelop demolished or vacant properties
  
  If you'd like to know more about the program you can read about it on HUD's website at:
• http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/neighborhoodspg/
• or just Google "HUD NSP" and it should appear at the top of the search list.

As soon as we hear something more, we'll pass it along!

Our Neighbors Set Their Own Block Straight!

Hello Friends & Neighbors ~


We recently heard from one of our neighbors on 14th St about how successful they have been in getting the "traffic" at a neighboring house to settle down . . . completely! Our neighbors had nothing but good things to say about our Salisbury Police force ~ that they were most helpful in every way that they could be. They said that there will be instances where the police truly can not do the things we may expect, but when they can exercise enforcement they will. Our neighbors combined this effort of working with the police with an effort to work with the offending household's landlord! The landlord otherwise would have had no idea that this activity was taking place in and on their property. The landlord also visited the house and let the tenants know that their activity was unacceptable. The "traffic" at this house has ceased.


This is amazing testimony to what the grass-roots efforts can do to help in the neighborhood. Too many either complain - to one another - or turn their heads, believing that nothing can be done. Not true! We need to be involved, watching out for one another and our own segments of the neighborhood. The Old North Salisbury neighborhood is long and wide-spread: from Lafayette St. to the Spencer Town line at 17th St., from Railroad St. to Jackson St., we each have a segment of the neighborhood that is more "our own". Often, what goes on at the north end up 15th, 16th, & 17th Streets and the boulevards in between is unknown to the folks at the opposite end up by Henderson, Steele, and Miller Streets. If we each concentrate on what we can see and manage, we will be more effective as a whole.


We are grateful to our neighbors on 14th for (1) sharing this success story, (2) being proactive in managing activity in their section of the neighborhood, and (3) impressing upon us that we can each have the same success in our own areas of the community.

Thank you & congratulations on this success!

What Were You Doing March 1st 2009?

Well we don't know what the rest of the world was doing on March 1st, but here in the beautiful North Main neighborhood at about 6:30 PM Sunday night we started to watch one of the most amazingly thick and steady snowfalls we've seen in a decade! We were very lucky not to have power lines break during this heavy, wet snowfall, and many trees suffered branch loss (not to mention our poor squashed and probably very confused spring flowers!), but when was the last time you saw anything so beautiful?! Children were delighted - you could not have had better snowball-snowman makin' snow!

Here's a few pictures of the neighborhood the next morning:

These crummy cell phone pictures sure don't do it justice, especially when the sun was making the WHOLE WORLD SPARKLE, but . . .

. . .Ya Gotta Luv It!



brrrrrr!

Councilman Takes Tour of Neighborhood

Hello Friends & Neighbors:

On February 4th, Board Members of the Old North Salisbury Association invited one of our City Council members to take a tour of the Old North Salisbury neighborhood with us. We knew that City Council was soon scheduled to take their 24th Annual Future Directions and Goal Setting Retreat February 12-13, 2009. With this in mind, we invited Councilman Bill Burgin, a former long-term resident of the North Main area, to tour the neighborhood and listen to some of our specific concerns. We took special care to outline many of the positive changes we have seen in the neighborhood over the past few years. We demonstrated where people have moved in, purchased and renovated our historic homes, and stayed to live in the homes, instead of renting them out. However we wished to call special attention to the need for ordinance enforcement in our area. We pointed out homes that have been allowed to deteriorate, homes that have been altered in appearance outside of the historic codes. We pointed out our 'hot-spots' for trouble, and we know every neighborhood has them, as well as our highlights. We had further discussions about the City's North Main Small Area Improvement Plan that appears to have no traction at all, because we have seen little impact to the area - even though the plan was approved at City Council in the summer of '07. We wished to impress upon Bill, in hopes he would share this with other Council and City Planning personnel, that we are determined to continue to make positive changes to this important Salisbury community and that we need the City's help to do so.

We are very grateful to Councilman Bill Burgin for taking the time with us that cold February morning to examine the neighborhood and hear our concerns. We thank Pat Sylvester, Sean Myers, and Sue McHugh for taking the time to conduct the tour and outline the specific topics and issues.

Bill urged us to keep going with our progress. He said that, "it is North Main's time and time for the City to devote attention here.". He further urged us to come forth at City Council Meetings with a formal presentation of our concerns. We have been discussing this at Board Meetings but have yet to develop the presentation or make the plans to get on the Council agenda. But with the positive reinforcement from our Councilman, we are better positioned to make this happen in the near future.

How long can a house sit before it's not sellable?

So much depends where the house is and whether it was closed up carefully. All across the country, banks and city governments are finding that, in general, an empty house has a surprisingly short life.

With no one to caulk windows, clean gutters, trim bushes, run the water, flush toilets and turn on the heat, moisture -- death to houses -- seeps in. In just one winter, mold, rot and even foundation cracks appear. Condensation in a cold house turns building materials soggy and weak. Wind rubs tree limbs against siding. The limbs trap moisture and make a gangway for critters that feast on wood, insulation or wiring. When water is shut off without first blowing air through the pipes, freeze-damaged, cracked pipes will leak when the water is turned on again.

New homes, in some ways, can fall apart faster because they use manufactured wood products vulnerable to swelling and mold. A wooden building won't last long if windows and doors are broken by vandals, letting wind, rain, animals and people in. Termites and wood rot take over quickly. Wind blowing through a home can buckle walls and roofs. The Old North Salisbury Association is encouraging the city to act quickly to pressure owners to repair our abandoned houses. To allow an empty house to just sit, uncared for, is demolition by neglect. It takes years for a community to recover derelict properties when the property owner could solve this in a much shorter time span.

Old North Salisbury has beautiful, historic, LIVABLE and AFFORDABLE houses. You will seldom see such an array of well kept, historic homes in the price range you find here. The residents of Old North Salisbury feel very fortunate to be able to own and protect these houses and are committed to the preservation of the homes in the community.

Many areas with lower housing costs experience slower appreciation than higher-cost cities. Typically, the smaller the town, the fewer the opportunities for shopping, dining and indoor recreation, although the outdoor recreation possibilities may be far greater. Not so in Salisbury NC! Salisbury has wonderful dining and shopping areas – culture: a symphony, 2 theater guilds, movie theatres and more . . . AND our beautiful parks for outdoor recreation!

If you know of a property owner who is allowing a home to be demolished by neglect, encourage them to repair or even SELL the home. There are many people who would cherish the opportunity to purchase a “fixer-upper” at the right price. And with the many historic features found in so many of the North Main St. area homes, they will not find such value in many other areas.

North Main Brochure for Realtors

Hi Neighbors & Friends!

We have developed a new tri-fold brochure intended especially for Realtors. As you well know, this neighborhood has some of the most beautiful older homes ~ and well below the national average home price! These homes are not only better built (some are over 100 years old!) but at a better price!

There seems to be something for everyone here - from the historic beauties along Main St. and the side streets to the sleeker brick ranches along the bordering blocks - the terraced yards, the old-growth trees - we indeed have a wonderful variety of homes to choose from. And with so many TV programs like "This Old House" and "Flip That House" - some of our homes are perfect candidates for restoration and revival by the folks who have the talent to do these things!

The new brochure aims to educate both a home buyer looking at homes in this area, as well as to educate the realtor that may not understand the value of an older home.

Our intent is to distribute the brochures to local realtor companies, as well as to Salisbury's Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center.

Got a realtor friend who could use a handful? Contact us at the Old North Salisbury Association - oldnorthsalisbury@gmail.com.

Preserving the Neighborhood ~ One House at a Time!

Thank You to Neighbors!

A brief update on a few goings on in the neighborhood:

Thank you to the folks who are taking down the large concrete block "hate wall" at 928 N. Main. This wall was erected years ago by a resident of island decent where the tradition was, when you argued with your neighbor, to erect a large wall that would completely block out the neighbor. The wall used to go the entire length of the property line. It was partially removed some years ago, but the remains of the unsightly and unfriendly wall have plagued us ever since. The Cress House, as the 928 home is known as, is being rejuvenated and we have seen more of the wall coming down. We don't know specifically who to thank but we could not be more grateful to see it being removed!

Our rental neighbors in the home at 915 recently moved out. An enormous pile of household debris was left at the curb - everything from clothing to toys to furniture to general garbage. Salisbury City pickup will not load anything that is not contained and this was a very big mess in front of this house. A couple of the neighbors took it upon themselves to go over and clean up the front - contain what they could in heavy-duty garbage bags, and in general - tidy the place up and allow the debris to be picked up. Thank you so much to these volunteers for lending a hand in keeping our community attractive. We have learned that there remains a good deal of debris behind the same house in the backyard. We will see if we can get after the owners of the home to take care of this in consideration of the neighbors on either side.

So many times we feel that one person can not make a difference. But lots of "one-person"s working with others, a little at a time, can really move things along toward a common goal.

THANK YOU!!

First Meeting of the Year held Jan 13th

Hello Friends & Neighbors!

The Old North Salisbury Board of Directors held their first meeting of '09 a couple of weeks ago. Although we had a small turnout (everyone still holiday weary?), we have a lot of items on the wish list this year!

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One very exciting development - we are forming a "Green Team"!! And right in time for the Spring season! The Green Team will be assisting in tree planting, mulching, and in general - sprucing up the neighborhood. If you are interested in joining the Green Team, let us know! If you are not apt to be found wielding a shovel, we are interested in donations of mulch, good garden soil, plants, seeds, etc. Even a little pot of pansies will go to good use!

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We are working on another, more formal, presentation to City Council. Remember we went before City Council last summer and asked for better enforcement of our ordinances. The City has restructured their Ordinance & Code Department so now may be a good time to remind them of our work here as a community and how we could use their help.

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We are still aiming to hold a neighborhood-wide business meeting, so all of the folks in our community can learn about what we are doing, our goals and our achievements. We would like to invite representatives from the City to talk about the planned improvements to our neighborhood and the status of those plans. The date has not yet been finalized, so we'll keep you posted. Stay tuned!

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We are trying very hard to figure out a Landlord / Tenant Outreach program. . . a way to let landlords know we care about their properties and the quality of the tenants . . . and a way to let renters know that they can be a part of the community. If you have ideas, let us know. So far we are struggling with an answer, and perhaps there are more ways than one to accomplish this.

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We are still talking about the Historic House Plaque Program and the best way to roll that out. Here's the difficulty - the plaques themselves may be expensive to have produced. So . . . do we want each home to purchase one voluntarily if they wish to have one? Do we award them annually? Do we have people apply for their plaque? We still believe that the Plaque Program will enhance the awareness of the value and history of your homes, and the program would tie into the walking programs the City is initiating.

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We will be creating a brochure for Realtors that highlights the homes, the neighborhood, and the benefits of living here. Gotta love an art project!

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AND - we are talking about hosting another neighborhood get-together - more fun than the business meeting. We had such a great day at our Celebrate Old North Salisbury picnic in the park last Fall that we think it might be fun to host another event this Spring. This also needs a bit more planning so we'll let you know as things start to gel. More volunteers always help to make this a success!

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Keep your porch lights on - the neighborhood looks way more friendly and the extra lighting deters crime. And if you haven't gotten rid of your fall leaves yet - the City's last leaf pickup is scheduled for February 25th. Need some help with this? Drop us a line - maybe this will be the first item on our Green Teams initiative!

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***Thanks Everybody! See you in the Neighborhood!***

Next Old North Salisbury Meeting - Jan 13th 7:00 PM - John Steele House

Hello & Happy New Year, Friends and Neighbors!

We hope you had a wonderful, happy, safe, and peaceful holiday season! The neighborhood sure looks festive with all the holiday lighting! Thanks to all who care to "dress up" the neighborhood during this season!

Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, January 13th ~ 7:00 PM, at the historic John Steele House ~ corner of Steele St. and Richard St. We have a strong agenda for this meeting, the first of the year and a kick off meeting to discuss last year's efforts and our many and varied projects for this year!

Traditionally these meetings are Board meetings - generally held every other month. However the Board does not exclude and in fact welcomes participation by all members of the community! Your input is invaluable and the more hands we have working together the more we can accomplish.

Here are some of the items on our agenda for this month:

• Incident & nuisance handling
• Planning for Neighborhood Meeting (February)
• Planning for next Neighborhood Social Event (Spring)
• Planning for speaking at City Council Meeting (topics?)
• Historic House Plaque Program
• Neighborhood Captains (neighborhood is large - how to better handle concerns in YOUR area)
• Upcoming newsletter
• Fit Community Grant status
• Railroad St. Parcel status
• Old North Salisbury "Green Team"
• City of Salisbury Foreclosure/Revitalization Grants
• Membership

Wow! See why we need your help? This is an exciting time of positive change for us in this area and you can be a part of it.
If you have additional items you would like to see added to our agenda, you can always place a comment here or email us at oldnorthsalisbury@gmail.com. We will always respond!
We are looking forward to a most wonderful and productive 2009! See you 'round the neighborhood!

Welcome Thomas Schwalm: Old North Salisbury Association Secretary

For those who don't know, the Old North Salisbury Association has an elected Board of Directors who typically serve 3-year terms (see the list of Board members on the lower right panel of this page). The Board includes an elected President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The current Board members were elected in October 2007 - the officers were elected in early 2008. However, this year, the office of Secretary went unfilled and we have been operating without an Association Secretary the whole year. The role of Secretary, writing the newsletter, writing Board meeting minutes and agendas, writing City Council meeting speeches, has been filled by others on the Board. . . . and it has worked out - BUT - with a dedicated person in the role, we feel our communication to the neighborhood can be vastly improved!

This month, amidst the hectic atmosphere of the holiday season, one of our neighbors offered to step up to the plate and fill that role. Thomas Schwalm and his wife LoriAnn, recently moved with to the North Main Historic District and a member of the Old North Salisbury Association, volunteered to be our Associaton Secretary. The Board unanimously voted to approve Thomas in this much needed role.

Thomas, of North Main St., joined the Old North Salisbury Association late in the summer of '08. He has been enthused about the preservation and the steady, upward evolution of this wonderful downtown neighborhood. He learned of the North Main Small Area Improvement Plan from his realtor, and purchased his circa 1909 home filled with great hope and excitement for our community. He has continually expressed his ideas and input and is encouraging others in the area to do the same.

We are very pleased to have Thomas on board to assist the Old North Salisbury Association with the many future plans we have to invest in the people, the homes, and the community here Salisbury's North Main St. area.

In this season of giving, it helps to remember that everything we have in life may be lost and regained except for time. If you give your time, you've given the most valuable gift you possess. Please join us in welcoming Thomas and thanking him and his family for this gift to our community!